Music & Arts

The Galax Middle School Choir recently entertained the city's school board with a selection of songs. At the board's February meeting, the choir lined up behind a row of shelves in the GHS library, where they performed two songs: "Hot Chocolate" and "Amani Utupe Na Ustawi," which means "Grant us peace, give us courage" in Swahili. Four members of the choir have made it into the all-district choir, while nine submissions had been accepted for the state middle school choir.

The Crooked Road has ended its effort to achieve National Heritage Area status, after Tea Party groups alleged that the move would put local land use decisions under federal control. The trail that includes the Twin Counties would have been eligible for federal grants to promote mountain music.

An upcoming benefit concert will help pay for a fitting memorial for a late local musician.
Proceeds from the March 16 concert at Galax’s historic Rex Theater will be donated towards a cemetery stone for Artie Marshall (1927-2003).
On March 16, Artie’s husband Jim Marshall will perform at the Rex with many of his musical friends, including Stevie Barr & Friends, The Wolfe Brothers, Kyle-Dean & Snake Smith, Willard Gayheart & Bobby Patterson, Erynn Marshall & Carl Jones and other special guests.

By SHAINA STOCKTON, Staff
It’s not every month someone brings a giant fiddle to a Galax City Council meeting.
“If you think this is large, you should see a full-sized fiddle. This one is only a three-quarter [size]!” laughed Chris Shackelford of Chestnut Creek School of the Arts, as she carefully leaned the sleek instrument against a nearby column where the council members could get a full view.
Shackelford was there at the Jan. 28 meeting to help sing the praises of a musical-themed public art project.

After getting saved in 2010, Ben Tidwell felt moved to raise his voice in a musical ministry.
Tidwell found the Lord at Full Gospel Bible Mission in Austinville, but he had to work up to the idea of signing.
“When I got saved I had a good friend tell me I needed to be singing,” Tidwell recalled.
The friend, who he worked with at Amcor Rigid Plastics in Wytheville, invited Tidwell to sing with him and his wife at Wilderness Road Pentecostal Holiness Church in Wytheville.

A Ford Double Model A truck has carried a local antique car collector into the world of independent cinema, and he’s enjoyed the ride.
Tom Littrell’s love of antique vehicles has seen him take off on the cross-country Great Race, made him a partner in Old Cranks Museum in Galax and now garnered him a bit part in the production of “Wish You Well.”
The movie is a screen adaptation of the 2001 book of the same name by David Baldacci.

With fall colors as a backdrop and a chilly wind blowing, Carroll County High School hosted about a dozen marching bands at Tommy Thompson field in a Saturday competition. Bands played for more than five hours. These photographs include A and AA competitors from the first half of the event. “A” schools include Bland County, Twin Springs, Northwood and Rural Retreat. “AA” schools were Fort Chiswell and Chilhowie.

See Wednesday's print and online editions of The Gazette for more photos.

Picking the perfect name can be a challenge, but that’s never been a problem for one Galax-based underground metal band.
It currently has three.
The Cult of Dionysis — aka “C.O.D.” or “Metalcult” — have created an original blend of heavy metal music that is alternately described by founder Dennis Warren as “geek thrash” (they have their own comic book, after all) and “Stache Core” (an ode to Warren’s unique facial hair, the unofficial fifth member of the band.)